Methods and systems for gamification

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems described in this disclosure are directed at gamification. In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for tracking actions taken by a user at predetermined gaming levels in a gaming application, the gaming application also facilitating users to interact with the gaming application in the form of questions and answers relating to topics in the military and armed forces. If the user is unable to provide a minimum number of correct responses to the questions presented, the gaming application displays actions that are to be performed by the user to continue playing the game. In some embodiments, a game is paused temporarily by a pause signal sent to the gaming application. The game resumes when a resume signal is sent to activate the gaming application.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional of and claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/312,052, filed on Mar. 23, 2016, entitled“METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GAMIFICATION,” which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally togamification. More specifically, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure relate to methods and systems for facilitating educationusing a question and answer format and tracking actions taken by a userat predetermined gaming levels in a gaming application.

BACKGROUND

When a person is deciding whether to join the military or armed forces,the person may have limited knowledge of the military and armed forces,leading to less of a likelihood that the person will join. Furthermore,even if such information is provided, the information may not be sharedin an interactive format, which can result in poor retention of theinformation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described and explainedthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network-based operating environmentin accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates various components of a mobile computing device thatmay be used in accordance with various embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates various components of a gamification platform thatmay be used in accordance with various embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a set of operations in accordancewith various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a set of operations of a mobilecomputing device associated with the gamification platform in accordancewith various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6-16 depict various screenshots of a gaming application inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a computer system with which someembodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally togamification involving a gaming application (e.g., running on a user'sdevice) associated with a game. The game allows users to create avatarsdesigned to simulate the various branches of the military. Usersinterested in employment in the military may have limited knowledge ofthe military, leading to less likelihood that the user will join themilitary. Additionally, information provided to the user in making thedecision may not be retained effectively because the information may notbe interactively presented to users. Thus, embodiments disclosed hereinprovide methods and systems to facilitate an engaging experience forusers while providing them knowledge about the military and armed forcesin an interactive manner involving questions and answers. The questionspresented to users can be asked by a gaming application at predeterminedgaming levels by pausing the game.

According to disclosed embodiments, users can go on quests, missions, orchallenges that include predetermined gaming levels. In someembodiments, the gaming application presents users with questions andevaluates the responses from the users at one or more predeterminedgaming levels in the game. In some embodiments, the questions can betopics related to the military and armed forces. For example, if a userhas reached (or conversely, not reached) a certain predetermined gaminglevel in the game, the gaming application presents the user with a setof questions (e.g., multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, open-ended)which the user is supposed to answer. Examples of questions can include:“What is the youngest branch of the military—Air Force, Army, Navy, orMarines?”; “What is the highest enlisted rank in the Marines—SergeantMajor, Chief Master Sergeant, Master Chief Petty Officer, or GunnerySergeant?”; “Who was the first 5-star general—George C. Marshall,Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, or George Patton?”; “What year wasthe Battle of Thermopylae fought—480 B.C., 50 B.C., 1492, or 1776?”;“How many pushups does an 18-year old female have to do to pass the NavyPT test—19, 33, 6, or 57?” The questions associated with the gamingapplication can be initially transmitted by the disclosed system andthen saved in a memory or a database associated with the gamingapplication. In some embodiments, these questions are transmittedon-the-fly (i.e., in real-time or near real-time) by the disclosedsystem to the gaming application.

Upon answering at least a certain number of questions correctly, theuser is advanced to a next level in the game. Thus, embodiments of thepresent disclosure can educate a user on various military-relatedinformation and/or third party-related information as the userprogresses through various gaming levels associated with missions orquests. To continue playing the game, the user has to not only engagewith the game but also respond to questions that are presented to theuser.

In some embodiments, should the user answer a certain number ofquestions incorrectly or otherwise “run out of lives” such that the gameis paused and/or stopped, the user can continue playing the game bytaking some type of required action (e.g., watch/listen to/readmultimedia content such as a video, audio recording, or text file; signup for a service; invite a friend to download an application or join thegame; deposit money into a savings or retirement account). User actionson the device can be monitored or tracked to ensure the action is takenbefore the game resumes.

The gaming application may display the required actions, and suchrequired actions may be hosted by a third party computer (e.g., bank,financial institution, insurance provider). Actions or tasks to continueplaying the game can be varied. For example, the gaming application candisplay a clickable link, and, upon the user's selecting the clickablelink and viewing the multimedia content or performing another requiredaction, the user can resume playing the game. In some embodiments, thethird party computer informs the disclosed system that the user hascompleted the trackable action. This information can be passed to thegaming application, allowing the user to continue playing the game.Thus, the disclosure herein provides functionalities for tracking userinteractions and engagements, not only within a gaming application, butalso external to a gaming application and associated with one or morethird parties. In other embodiments, the gaming application and/or thedisclosed system determines whether the user has completed the action.

The multimedia content associated with an action can be used to informthe user about a variety of topics such as the military, savings,retirement, and investing. Moreover, in some embodiments, the user maybe required to transfer some money into a savings account or to pay abill to keep playing the game. Thus, the gaming application can be usednot only to educate users about the military or financial topics, butalso to help them take concrete steps towards one or more goals. In someembodiments, the clickable link can pertain to a third party computersuch as a bank, a financial institution, or insurance provider. In someembodiments, users can be tasked with capturing a video/image anduploading the video/image to the gaming application.

In some embodiments, the gaming application can include military-relatedquestions and answers, in lieu of or in combination with a game. Thesequestions can be transmitted by a remote server in a batch to the gamingapplication. The batch can be transmitted at any time (i.e., regardlessof whether the user is playing a game or not). When the questions areloaded to the gaming application, the game has flexibility in askingquestions. For example, a user can be prompted to enter a word thatrepresents a topic or a famous veteran in the military at predeterminedgaming levels in the game. The gaming application can then pause thegame and present questions related to the word entered by the user.

The game may be used to determine a recommended branch of the militaryfor the user to join. For example, a user can be presented with animage, followed by a series of questions. Based on the user's responsesto the questions, the gaming application can recommend one or moreparticular branches in the military for the user to join.

The gaming application can further determine an avatar most suited forthe user. For example, the user can be presented with facts about atopic or a famous personnel/veteran in the military, in lieu of or incombination with the questions. In some embodiments, the questions caninclude topics related to the user's personal life, for example, a kindof car he or she drives, his or her preferences for a certain type oftransportation or vehicle, and the like. In a further example, thegaming application may ask for user preferences such as a selection ofrank and branch affiliation. The gaming application may further ask theuser's true military status (e.g., considering, enlisted, retired).Based on the user's responses, the gaming application can identify oneor more famous military personnel/veterans that the user is similar to,inform the user of the famous military personnel/veterans, and provideadditional details about them. In some embodiments, a user can select anavatar in the game representing one of the famous militarypersonnel/veterans that the user is similar to.

In some embodiments, the gaming application can incentivize users withrewards or points for correctly responding to a predetermined number ofquestions, for reaching a certain gaming level, or a combination of theabove. These rewards (e.g., trading cards) can be used to purchaseavatars, skins, armory items, weaponry, or outfits worn by the avatarsin the game. In some embodiments, users can continue to a next level orearn points (e.g., lives, armory items, or ammunitions associated with amission in the game) by correctly answering a predetermined number ofquestions. The interactive nature of the game with questions canincentivize users to stay engaged and entertained while gainingknowledge about the military and armed forces (or other topics).

In some embodiments, users can earn rewards upon completing an action ora task such as watching a video or reading an article hosted by a thirdparty computer. Completion of the task may allow the user to continueplaying the game as well as assist users in gaining knowledge relatingto a third party (e.g., an insurance provider's plans and policies,financial readiness tools, retirement planning tools, recommendationsfor investing and associated financial instruments or services offeredby a financial services company).

In some embodiments, the disclosed system and the gaming application canprovide a knowledge-gathering experience that is, in some cases,specific to the particular user. Users (e.g., persons who have not yetenlisted in the military but are considering joining it, as well aspersons who are already enlisted in or retired from the military) can becategorized based on their employment status in the military, their age,demographics, financial goals, marital status, educationalqualifications, and the like. For example, a third party computer canprovide a budgeting tool to users based on their (current and/or future)income and savings. Or, the third party computer can inform users aboutpay grades associated with various ranks in the military and can includea pay calculator based on a user's selected location, rank, and numberof years served in the military. In a further example, the questions andanswers can inform users who have enlisted and are about to join themilitary, information (e.g., via a graphically illustrative timeline ofevents) related to the specific branch they would be joining, associatedranks, and various details about the military that they should be awareof.

In some embodiments, the game, including the questions, played by a usercan be based on his or her category and/or skill level. The system candynamically adjust the questions presented to a user based on his or heraptitude level in the game, the number of correct responses, or the usercategory. A certain category of user might have the opportunity to playa game that is more challenging or has a greater number of gaming levelsthan a user in a different category. The information needed tocategorize the user can be received by the system as registrationinformation when the user registers with the gaming application.

In some embodiments, users can play the game on one or more devices(e.g., a mobile phone, a wearable device, a virtual reality device, atablet computer). Information relating to users reaching (or notreaching) predetermined levels in the game can be communicated by thegaming application to a remote platform (e.g., a server). In someembodiments, the remote platform can communicate a pause signal to thegaming application to pause the game until the user correctly answers apredetermined number of questions or reaches a predetermined gaminglevel. Upon receiving the pause signal, the gaming application can pausethe progress of the game. The game is paused to present users with oneor more questions relating to the military or armed forces.

In some embodiments, the gaming application informs the remote server ofthe number of correctly answered questions by the user. Based upon thenumber of correct responses, the remote server and/or the gamingapplication can pause the game and recommend actions that are to beperformed by the user to continue playing the game. In some embodiments,the gaming application informs the remote server of real-time (or nearreal-time) interactions of the user with the game. In other embodiments,the gaming application informs the remote server intermittently, forexample, upon detecting that the user has reached a predetermined gaminglevel. According to embodiments disclosed herein, the game can be pausedby the gaming application and/or the remote server. Additionally, thegame can be resumed by the gaming application and/or the remote server.The pausing and the resuming are based on electronic signalscommunicated by the remote server and the gaming application.

In some embodiments, the gaming application may not require users totake actions to continue playing the game. In such embodiments, thegaming application includes an automated timer that can be set to apredetermined time duration. A quest or a mission in a game played by auser can be paused by the gaming application, upon the user reaching apredetermined gaming level. After the predetermined time durationexpires, a user can resume playing the mission in the game. In someembodiments, the automated timer is activated when a user fails tocorrectly respond to a minimum number of questions. The activation ofthe timer also triggers the game played by the user to be pausedtemporarily. After the predetermined time duration expires, the user canresume playing the game.

In some embodiments, a user can invite others users to play a game withhim or her. In some embodiments, the gaming application allows a user topublish his or her avatar, achievements, levels and scores in the gameon the user's page on a social media application. In some embodiments, auser can trade rewards or trading cards with other users.

The terms “gaming application” and “game” used herein are non-limitingand have broader interpretation. For example, in some embodiments, agaming application and a game can be synonymous. In some embodiments, agaming application can include a game as a feature. In the followingdescription, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific detailsare set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofembodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent toone skilled in the art on reading the disclosure that embodiments may bepracticed without some of these specific details.

This disclosure describes a gaming application that language thatfacilitates knowledge of the military and armed forces in an interactiveformat. Various embodiments may provide the following technologicalimprovements: (1) an interactive gaming platform, (2) interoperabilitybetween various platforms, and (3) an effective use of various computingtechniques during the game to obtain information from and provideinformation to users.

Moreover, the techniques introduced here can be embodied asspecial-purpose hardware (e.g., circuitry), as programmable circuitryappropriately programmed with software and/or firmware, or as acombination of special-purpose and programmable circuitry. Hence,embodiments may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereoninstructions that may be used to program a computer (or other electronicdevices) to perform a process. The machine-readable medium may include,but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical discs, compact discread-only memories (CD-ROMs), magneto-optical disks, read-only memories(ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmable read-onlymemories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories(EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other type ofmedium/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronicinstructions.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network-based operating environment100 in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be used. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, operating environment 100 may includeapplications 105A-105N running on one or more computing devices110A-110M (such as a mobile device; a mobile phone; a telephone; atablet computer; a mobile media device; a mobile gaming device; avehicle-based computer; a dedicated terminal; a public terminal,desktop, or laptop computer; a kiosk; wearable devices such as asmartwatch; etc.). In some embodiments, applications 105A-105N may bestored on one or more computing devices 110A-110M or may be storedremotely on a server (in the “cloud”). These computing devices caninclude mechanisms for receiving and sending traffic by connectingthrough network 115 to gamification platform 120 and data stores 125 and130.

Computing devices 110A-110M may be configured to communicate via thenetwork 115 with gamification platform 120. In some embodiments,computing devices 110A-110M can retrieve or submit information togamification platform 120 and run one or more applications withcustomized content retrieved by gamification platform 120 and datastores 125 and 130. For example, computing devices 110A-110M can executea browser application or a customized client application to enableinteraction between the computing devices 110A-110M, gamificationplatform 120, third party computer 135, and data stores 125 and 130. Insome embodiments, gamification platform 120 can be a server locatedremotely from the electronic devices.

Gamification platform 120 can be running on one or more servers and canbe used to facilitate users in playing games on computing devices110A-110M, tracking actions performed by users at third party computers135, and/or performing other activities. In some embodiments,gamification platform 120 can send a pause signal to a gamingapplication on a device associated with a user to pause the progress ofa game, or a resume signal to resume the progress of a paused game.

Third party computer 135 stores clickable links and application programsassociated with third parties (e.g., banks, financial institutions,insurance providers) that allow users to complete actions. For example,third party computer 135 can store media (e.g., videos, text files) oraccess to accounts that the user may need to access to continue playingthe game. When an action is completed by the user, third party computer135 may communicate with gamification platform 120 or the gamingapplication directly to allow the user to continue to play the game.

Network 115 can be any combination of local area and/or wide areanetworks, using wired and/or wireless communication systems. Network 115can be, or could use, any one or more protocols/technologies: Ethernet,IEEE 802.11 or Wi-Fi, worldwide interoperability for microwave access(WiMAX), cellular telecommunication (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G), CDMA, cable,digital subscriber line (DSL), etc. Similarly, the networking protocolsused on network 115 may include multiprotocol label switching (MPLS),transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), User DatagramProtocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), simple mail transferprotocol (SMTP), and file transfer protocol (FTP). Data exchanged overnetwork 115 may be represented using technologies, languages, and/orformats, including hypertext markup language (HTML) or extensible markuplanguage (XML). In addition, all or some links can be encrypted usingconventional encryption technologies such as secure sockets layer (SSL),transport layer security (TLS), and Internet Protocol security (IPsec).

Data stores 125 and 130 can be used to manage storage and access to userdata such as user profiles; users' game-related information; users'financial and personal data; data related to actions completed or to becompleted by a user; data received from third parties; data related tousers' categories; questions and answers presented to users before,during, or after a game; and other information. Data stores 125 and 130may be a data repository of a set of integrated objects that are modeledusing classes defined in database schemas. Data stores 125 and 130 mayfurther include flat files that can store data. Gamification platform120 and/or other servers may collect and/or access data from the datastores 125 and 130. Information provided by users can be stored in datastores 125 and 130.

FIG. 2 illustrates a set of components 200 within computing device 110according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Thecomputing devices 110A-110M of user(s) can be used by users to play agame via a gaming application running on the computing device. Accordingto the embodiments shown in FIG. 2, a computing device can includememory 205, one or more processors 210, operating system 215,application 220, profile module 225, gaming module 230, questions module235, and communication and tracking module 240. Other embodiments of thepresent invention may include some, all, or none of these modules andcomponents, along with other modules, applications, and/or components.Still yet, some embodiments may incorporate two or more of these modulesand components into a single module and/or associate a portion of thefunctionality of one or more of these modules with a different module.

Memory 205 can store instructions for running one or more applicationsor modules on processor(s) 210. For example, memory 205 could be used inone or more embodiments to house all or some of the instructions neededto execute the functionality of operating system 215, application 220,profile module 225, gaming module 230, questions module 235, andcommunication and tracking module 240. Generally, memory 205 can includeany device, mechanism, or populated data structure used for storinginformation. In accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure, memory 205 can encompass, but is not limited to, any type ofvolatile memory, nonvolatile memory (RAM), and dynamic memory. Forexample, memory 205 can be random access memory, memory storage devices,optical memory devices, magnetic media, floppy disks, magnetic tapes,hard drives, single in-line memory modules (SIMMs), synchronous dynamicrandom access memory (SDRAM), dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs),Rambus dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), double data rate RAM (DDRRAM), small outline DIMMs (SODIMMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, compact discs,DVDs, and/or the like. In accordance with some embodiments, memory 205may include one or more disk drives, flash drives, one or moredatabases, one or more tables, one or more files, local cache memories,processor cache memories, relational databases, flat databases, and/orthe like. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate many additional devices and techniques for storinginformation that can be used as memory 205.

Operating system 215 can provide a software package that is capable ofmanaging the hardware resources of computing device 110. Operatingsystem 215 can also provide common services for software applicationsrunning on processor(s) 210. In accordance with various embodiments,operating system 215 can coordinate resources for multiple applications220 that allow a user to access and interact with gamification platform120. For example, application 220 can include an application forfinancial services, a money transfer application, a social networkingapplication, and a banking application.

Application 220 can access a server and/or a platform associated with anorganization to execute banking transactions, such as transferringfunds, checking available balances in financial accounts, checkingcredit or debit activities associated with financial accounts, and thelike. Application 220 can, for example, be associated with a bank or afinancial institution or an insurance provider. In some embodiments, thedisclosed gaming application can display clickable links that, whenclicked by the user, launch application 220 in the user's computingdevice.

Profile module 225 can maintain personal and financial profiles for auser, including information relating to a gaming application. Personaldata of a user can include a name, an address, a phone number, an email,a unique identification number identifying a user, a photograph of theuser, and login credentials such as a username and password forlaunching an application. Profiles may include a user's personal data;bank/financial institution data; credit card/debit card data, includingelectronic wallet identification information; details of gaming levelsthat the user has reached (or not reached); insurance policies that theuser has purchased; a category that the user belongs to; a user'spreferences for specific armory items, avatars, skins, or weaponry in agame; a user's preference for famous personnel/veterans in the military;one or more famous personnel/veterans in the military resembling theuser's personality; a number of correct (or, incorrect) responses toquestions asked to the user; a preference of the user for a particularbranch of the military; or any other information that can be used toidentify a user. Profile module 225 can receive information from thegamification platform 120 that assigns a user to a user category.Additionally, profile module 225 can continually update the storedprofile as the user plays games, progresses through different gaminglevels, answers questions, or more generally continues to interact withthe gaming application.

Gaming module 230 can generate graphical user interfaces (GUIs) thatfacilitate a user to play games via the gaming application. The gamescan be played by only one user, or a user can compete with other users.In playing the game, users can go on quests, missions, or challengesthat include predetermined gaming levels. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure can educate a user with various military-related informationand/or third party-related information as the user progresses throughvarious gaming levels associated with missions or quests in a game. Aquest or a mission in a game played by a user can be paused by thegaming application upon the user reaching a predetermined gaming level.The pause can be triggered in response to the gaming applicationreceiving a pause signal from gamification platform 120 for temporarilyhalting the progress of the gaming application. To continue playing thegame, the user may be required to respond to questions that arepresented to the user. The questions can be based on a category orpreference of the user, as stored in profile module 225.

In some embodiments, gaming module 230 allows users to purchase avatars,skins, armory items, weaponry, or outfits worn by the avatars in thegame. In some embodiments, the users can continue to a next level orearn points (e.g., lives, armory items, or ammunitions associated with amission in the game) by correctly answering a predetermined number ofquestions. In some embodiments, gaming module 230 receives a resumesignal (e.g., for activation of the gaming application) fromgamification platform 120 after a game (e.g., a quest or a mission) ispaused. In some embodiments, resuming a game occurs upon expiry of apredetermined time duration counted by an automated timer associatedwith the gaming module. In some embodiments, resuming a game is inresponse to the user answering a minimum number of questions correctly.In some embodiments, if a user is unable to correctly answer a minimumnumber of questions, gaming module 230 can not only pause the game butcan additionally prompt the user to complete one or more actions.Examples of such actions can include a user viewing a multimedia contenton a server (e.g., hosted by a third party or by gamification platform120). Gaming module 230 can receive online clickable links relating touser actions to be completed (e.g., a link hosting a video that the userhas to view to complete the action) from gamification platform 120,third party computer 135, or other application programs running on theuser's computing device.

Questions module 235 receives (e.g., from gamification platform 120),stores, and presents questions and answers in connection with the gamingapplication. The questions can relate to one or more topics in themilitary or armed forces. In some embodiments, the questions can bepersonal questions customized to the user based on a user category or anaptitude level of the user. Thus, gaming module 235 can dynamicallyadjust the questions presented to a user based on the user's aptitudelevel in the game, the number of correct responses, and/or the usercategory in which the user belongs. In some embodiments, questionsmodule 235 receives questions from one or more third party computers135.

Communication and tracking module 240 facilitates communication betweenthe gaming application and gamification platform 120 via wirelesscommunication methods such as cellular communication, near fieldcommunication (NFC), Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. In some embodiments,communication module 235 can receive and/or transmit questions, gameplays, and game-related data such as avatars, skins, and armory itemsused in a game, from gamification platform 120.

Communication and tracking module 240 can also track actions of a user.For example, communication and tracking module 240 can detect if theuser has clicked on a clickable link (e.g., displayed by gaming module230). In some embodiments, communication and tracking module 240 canreceive verification information (e.g., an indication) from gamificationplatform 120 informing the gaming application that the user hascompleted the prompted actions (e.g., watched a video at the clickablelink).

FIG. 3 illustrates a set of components 300 within a system such asgamification platform 120 according to one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In some embodiments, these components can beincluded in a server maintained by the entity that owns and operatesgamification platform 120. According to the embodiments shown in FIG. 3,gamification platform 120 can include memory 305, one or more processors310, profile module 315, questions module 320, communication andtracking module 325, and third party module 330. Other embodiments ofthe present invention may include some, all, or none of these modulesand components along with other modules, applications, and/orcomponents. Still yet, some embodiments may incorporate two or more ofthese modules and components into a single module and/or associate aportion of the functionality of one or more of these modules with adifferent module.

Memory 305 can be any device, mechanism, or populated data structureused for storing information, as described above for memory 205. Memory305 can store instructions for running one or more applications ormodules on processor(s) 310. For example, memory 305 could be used inone or more embodiments to house all or some of the instructions neededto execute the functionality of profile module 315, questions module320, and communication and tracking module 325.

Profile module 315 can maintain profiles for users that reflect thepersonal and financial profiles of the users, similar to the profilesdescribed with respect to profile module 225. Profile module 315 alsoreceives, from the gaming application, information relating tointeractions of a user with the gaming application and user-relatedinformation (e.g., registration information and a user's game-relateddata) provided by the gaming application. In some embodiments, profilemodule 315 uses registration information provided by users to categorizeusers and create profiles of users.

Questions module 320 can maintain and create question and answer pool(s)for users, similar to the questions and answers described with respectto the questions module 235.

Communication and tracking module 325 facilitates communication withusers' electronic devices. For example, communication and trackingmodule 325 can communicate questions and answers (e.g., provided by thequestions module 320), and various types of signals associated with thegaming application. Examples of such signals can be a pause signal to agaming application running on a user's device to cause a temporary haltin the progress of the gaming application, or a resume/activation signalto resume the gaming application from the pause. The pause signal can becommunicated when a user has reached a predetermined gaming level in thegame, or when the user has provided a predetermined number of incorrectresponses to the questions asked by the gaming application. A resumesignal can be communicated when a user has correctly answered apredetermined number of questions.

Communication and tracking module 325 can also communicate the questionsand answers to the gaming application to be presented to a user. In someembodiments, communication and tracking module 325 tracks the actionsthat are taken/performed by the user. Such actions can be performed bythe user at a third party computer. For example, a third party computercan detect that a user has completed one or more actions andcommunication, and tracking module 325 can receive a communication fromthe third party computer to remove the pause signal in a temporarilyhalted game of the user. Communication and tracking module 325 can senda resume signal to the user device. The detection can be based onverification information received from a third party computer that theuser has completed the one or more actions. In some embodiments, certainverification information can be conveyed to the gaming application as anindication that the user has completed the one or more actions, forexample, that the user has selected a clickable link at the third partycomputer.

Third party module 330 stores profiles of third parties, clickable linksand application programs associated with the third parties thatfacilitate users to complete actions. Third party module 330 can becontinually updated with new data and programs as new actions are addedto the system, or new third parties are added.

FIGS. 4-5 depict flowcharts illustrating sets of operations. In someembodiments, fewer than all of the operations in each set of operationsare performed, whereas in other embodiments additional operations areperformed. Moreover, in some embodiments, the operations may beperformed in different orders or in parallel. The operations can beperformed by various components of computing devices 110 and/orgamification platform 120 such as those illustrated in FIG. 2 and/orFIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a set of operations of a process 400for tracking actions taken by a user via a gaming application running ona user's device. In some embodiments, the operations in FIG. 4 can beperformed by a server remotely located form the user's device andcoupled to the gamification platform 120. In some embodiments, actionstaken by a user can be completed or performed by the user at a thirdparty computer. In some embodiments, the third party computer can beowned and operated by the same entity that operates the gamificationplatform 120.

Receive operation 402 receives information relating to user interactionwith a gaming application running on a user's device 110. Decisionoperation 404 determines if the user has reached a predetermined levelin the game. If decision operation 404 determines that the user has notreached a predetermined level in the game, then the decision operation404 loops back to receive operation 402. If decision operation 404determines that the user has reached a predetermined level in the game,then decision operation 404 branches to communicate operation 406 inwhich a pause signal is communicated to the gaming application to causea temporary halt in the progress of the gaming application (e.g., aquest, question/answer session).

Transmit operation 408 transmits a message relating to an action, suchas clicking a clickable link to the gaming application. The clickablelink can be associated with one or more actions to be performed by theuser at a third party computer. Receive operation 410 receives anindication from the gaming application that the user has selected theclickable link. Upon detecting that the user has completed the one ormore actions, remove operation 412 removes the pause signal andactivates the gaming application. In some embodiments, detecting thatthe user has completed the one or more actions includes receivingverification information from the third party computer relating tocompletion of the one or more actions by the user (e.g., watched a videoindicated by the link). In response to receiving verificationinformation from the third party computer relating to the completion ofthe one or more actions by the user, gamification platform 120communicates a resume signal to the gaming application. The resumesignal removes the temporary halt in the progress of the gamingapplication. Hence, activating the gaming application can includecommunicating the resume signal.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a set of operations of a process 500performed by a gaming application running on a user's computing device.Monitor operation 502 monitors interactions of a user with the gamingapplication. Detect operation 504 detects that the user has reached apredetermined gaming level in the gaming application based on themonitored user interactions. Decision operation 506 determines whetheror not the user has reached a predetermined gaming level in the gamingapplication. If decision operation 506 determines that the user has notreached a predetermined gaming level, then decision operation 506 loopsback to step 502. If decision operation 506 determines that the user hasreached a predetermined gaming level, then decision operation 506branches to pause operation 508 which causes a pause in the progress ofthe gaming application. Display operation 510 causes display of aclickable link to the user, the clickable link associated with one ormore actions to be performed by the user at a third party computer.Detect operation 512 detects that the user selected the clickable link.Communicate operation 514 communicates an indication (to gamificationplatform 120) that the user has selected the clickable link. Receiveoperation 516 receives an activation signal from gamification platform120 relating completion of the one or more actions by the user. In someembodiments, the link is a link to an account and the action is todeposit a certain amount of money into a second account of the user.

FIGS. 6-16 depict various screenshots of a gaming application inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Computer System Overview

Embodiments of the present disclosure include various steps andoperations, which have been described above. A variety of these stepsand operations may be performed by hardware components or they may beembodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to causea general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with theinstructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, the steps may beperformed by a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Assuch, FIG. 17 is an example of a computer system 1700 with whichembodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized. According to thepresent example, the computer system includes an interconnect 1710, atleast one processor 1720, at least one communication port 1730, a mainmemory 1740, a removable storage media 1750, a read-only memory 1760,and a mass storage device 1770.

Processor(s) 1720 can be any known processor, such as, but not limitedto, Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2® processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® orAthlon MP® processor(s), or Motorola® lines of processors. Communicationport(s) 1730 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-baseddialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, or a Gigabit port usingcopper or fiber. Communication port(s) 1730 may be chosen, depending ona network such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN),or any network to which the computer system 1700 connects.

Main memory 1740 can be random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamicstorage device(s) commonly known in the art. Read-only memory 1760 canbe any static storage device(s), such as programmable read-only memory(PROM) chips for storing static information, such as instructions forprocessor(s) 1720.

Mass storage device 1770 can be used to store information andinstructions. For example, hard disks such as the Adaptec® family ofSCSI drives, an optical disc, an array of disks such as RAID, theAdaptec family of RAID drives, or any other mass storage devices may beused.

Interconnect 1710 communicatively couples processor(s) 1720 with theother memory, storage, and communication blocks. Interconnect 1710 canbe a PCI/PCI-X- or SCSI-based system bus, depending on the storagedevices used.

Removable storage media 1750 can be any kind of external hard drives,floppy drives, USB drives, IOMEGA® Zip Drives, compact disc-read-onlymemory (CD-ROM), compact disc-re-writable (CD-RW), or digital videodisc-read-only memory (DVD-ROM).

The components described above are meant to exemplify some types ofpossibilities. In no way should the aforementioned examples limit thedisclosure, as they are only exemplary embodiments.

Terminology

Brief definitions of terms, abbreviations, and phrases used throughoutthis application and the appendices are given below.

The terms “connected” or “coupled” and related terms are used in anoperational sense and are not necessarily limited to a direct physicalconnection or coupling. Thus, for example, two devices may be coupleddirectly or via one or more intermediary media or devices. As anotherexample, devices may be coupled in such a way that information can bepassed therebetween, while not sharing any physical connection with oneanother. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate a variety of ways in which connection orcoupling exists in accordance with the aforementioned definition.

The phrases “in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “inthe embodiments shown,” “in other embodiments,” “embodiments,” and thelike generally mean that the particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic following the phrase is included in at least oneembodiment of the present disclosure and may be included in more thanone embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, such phrases donot necessarily refer to the same embodiments or to differentembodiments.

If the specification states that a component or feature “may,” “can,”“could,” or “might” be included or have a characteristic, thatparticular component or feature is not required to be included or havethe characteristic.

The term “responsive” includes completely or partially responsive.

The term “module” refers broadly to a software, hardware, or firmware(or any combination thereof) component. Modules are typically functionalcomponents that can generate useful data or other output using specifiedinput(s). A module may or may not be self-contained. An applicationprogram (also called an “application”) may include one or more modules,or a module can include one or more application programs.

The term “network” generally refers to a group of interconnected devicescapable of exchanging information. A network may be as few as severalpersonal computers on a Local Area Network (LAN) or as large as theInternet, a worldwide network of computers. As used herein, “network” isintended to encompass any network capable of transmitting informationfrom one entity to another. In some cases, a network may be comprised ofmultiple networks, even multiple heterogeneous networks, such as one ormore border networks, voice networks, broadband networks, financialnetworks, service provider networks, Internet Service Provider (ISP)networks, and/or Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs)interconnected via gateways operable to facilitate communication betweenand among the various networks.

Also, for the sake of illustration, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure have herein been described in the context of computerprograms, physical components, and logical interactions within moderncomputer networks. Importantly, while these embodiments describe variousembodiments of the present disclosure in relation to modern computernetworks and programs, the method and apparatus described herein areequally applicable to other systems, devices, and networks, as oneskilled in the art will appreciate. As such, the illustratedapplications of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not meantto be limiting, but instead are examples. Other systems, devices, andnetworks to which embodiments of the present disclosure are applicableinclude, but are not limited to, other types of communication andcomputer devices and systems. More specifically, embodiments areapplicable to communication systems, services, and devices such as cellphone networks and compatible devices. In addition, embodiments areapplicable to all levels of computing, from the personal computer tolarge network mainframes and servers.

In conclusion, the present disclosure discloses novel systems, methods,and arrangements for tracking of a user's actions performed at thirdparty computers and facilitating users to play games via a gamingapplication on their devices. While detailed descriptions of one or moreembodiments of the disclosure have been given above, variousalternatives, modifications, and equivalents will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art without varying from the spirit of the disclosure.For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particularfeatures, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments havingdifferent combinations of features and embodiments that do not includeall of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the presentdisclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications,and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with allequivalents thereof. Therefore, the above description should not betaken as limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-transitory computer-readable mediumcomprising a set of instructions that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, cause a machine to perform the operations of: receiving, ata server, information relating to interactions of a user with a gamingapplication, the gaming application running on a device of the userremote from the server; receiving, from the gaming application,registration information identifying the user; assigning the user to oneor more user categories based at least in part on the registrationinformation; in response to determining, based on the informationrelating to the interactions of the user with the gaming application,that the user has reached a predetermined gaming level in the gamingapplication: communicating a pause signal to the gaming application, thepause signal causing a temporary halt in a progress of the gamingapplication, transmitting a clickable link to the gaming application,the clickable link associated with one or more actions to be performedby the user at a third party computer, receiving, from the gamingapplication, an indication that the user has selected the clickablelink, and upon detecting that the user has completed the one or moreactions, removing the pause signal and activating the gamingapplication.
 2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1,wherein the third party computer is associated with a bank or afinancial institution and the one or more actions includes the userselecting a transfer of funds into a deposit account of the usermaintained by the bank or the financial institution.
 3. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the thirdparty computer is associated with an insurance provider and the one ormore actions includes the user viewing multimedia content provided bythe insurance provider.
 4. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 1, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one ormore processors, further cause the machine to perform the operations of:transmitting a set of questions and answers to the gaming application,the set of questions and answers relating to topics in the military andarmed forces.
 5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4,wherein communicating the pause signal to the gaming application is inresponse to receiving, from the user, a predetermined number ofincorrect responses to one or more questions in the set of the questionsand the answers relating to the topics in the military and armed forces.6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, whereindetecting that the user has completed the one or more actions includesreceiving verification information from the third party computerrelating to completion of the one or more actions by the user.
 7. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set ofinstructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causethe machine to perform the operations of: in response to receivingverification information from the third party computer relating to thecompletion of the one or more actions by the user, communicating aresume signal to the gaming application, the resume signal removing thetemporary halt in the progress of the gaming application.
 8. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one ormore actions to be performed by the user are trackable by the machine inreal time or almost real time.
 9. A computer-implemented methodimplemented by a gaming application, the method comprising: monitoringinteraction of a user with the gaming application running on a deviceassociated with the user, wherein the gaming application receives, froma remote server, a set of questions and answers relating to topics inthe military and armed forces; based on the interactions of the userwith the gaming application, detecting that the user has reached apredetermined gaming level in the gaming application; and in response todetecting that the user has reached the predetermined gaming level inthe gaming application: pausing a progress of the gaming application,causing display of a clickable link to the user, the clickable linkassociated with one or more actions to be performed by the user at athird party computer, detecting that the user selected the clickablelink, communicating, to the remote server, an indication that the userhas selected the clickable link, and receiving an activation signal fromthe remote server relating to completion of the one or more actions bythe user.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: upon receivingthe activation signal from the remote server relating to completion ofthe one or more actions by the user, resuming the progress of the gamingapplication.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein resuming the progressof the gaming application is in response to receiving a resume signalfrom the remote server, the resume signal removing a temporary halt inthe progress of the gaming application.
 12. The method of claim 9,wherein pausing the progress of the gaming application is in response toreceiving a pause signal from the remote server, the pause signalcausing a temporary halt in the progress of the gaming application. 13.The method of claim 9, wherein causing the display of the clickable linkto the user is in response to receiving the clickable link from theremote server.
 14. The method of claim 9, further comprising: causingdisplay of a first question in the set of questions and answers;determining, based on an accuracy of responses of the user to thedisplayed first question, an aptitude level of the user; dynamicallyselecting a second question in the set of questions and answers based onthe aptitude level of the user; and causing display of the secondquestion in the set of questions and answers to the user.
 15. The methodof claim 9, wherein pausing the progress of the gaming application is inresponse to receiving, from the user, a predetermined number ofincorrect responses to one or more questions in the set of the questionsand the answers relating to the topics in the military and armed forces.16. A system comprising: a gaming application running on a deviceassociated with a user that is in electronic communication with a remoteserver, wherein the gaming application is configured for: receiving,from the remote server, a set of questions and answers relating totopics in the military and armed forces, monitoring interactions of theuser with the gaming application running on the device associated withthe user, based on the interactions of the user with the gamingapplication, detecting that the user has reached a predetermined gaminglevel in the gaming application, and in response to detecting that theuser has reached the predetermined gaming level in the gamingapplication: pausing a progress of the gaming application, causingdisplay of a clickable link to the user, the clickable link associatedwith one or more actions to be performed by the user at a third partycomputer, detecting that the user selected the clickable link,communicating, to the remote server, an indication that the user hasselected the clickable link, and receiving verification information fromthe remote server relating to completion of the one or more actions bythe user; and the remote server in electronic communications with thegaming application and the third party computer, wherein the remoteserver is configured for: receiving information relating to theinteractions of the user with the gaming application, and in response todetermining, based on the information relating to the interactions ofthe user with the gaming application, that the user has reached thepredetermined gaming level in the gaming application: communicating apause signal to the gaming application, the pause signal pausing theprogress of the gaming application, transmitting the clickable link tothe gaming application, receiving, from the gaming application, anindication that the user has selected the clickable link, and upondetecting that the user has completed the one or more actions, removingthe pause signal and activating the gaming application.
 17. The systemof claim 16, wherein pausing the progress of the gaming application isin response to receiving, from the user, a predetermined number ofincorrect responses to one or more questions in the set of the questionsand the answers relating to the topics in the military and armed forces.